This invention relates generally to a holder or retainer structure for contact lenses or the like, and more particularly concerns a contact lens holder which promotes and encourages maximum contact of the lenses with a cleaning solution in a container or capsule.
Corneal contact lenses have offered a popular method of human sight correction for a number of years. Recent technical developments have resulted in commercially offered contact lenses made of a soft or pliable plastic material. At least some of these soft lenses, as they are termed, are hydrophilic in nature, that is to say, they have the ability to absorb water. This characteristic permits the lenses to be optically formed or machined in rather hard state, and softened due to the absorption of water. The lens as such are porous, and will support the growth of, and harbor, germs and bacteria. Accordingly, soft contact lens users, and some other lens users as well, must sterilize their lenses daily or at other periodic intervals to destroy the bacteria or germs which may be absorbed by the lenses or retained on the lens surfaces. If this sterilization is for some reason ineffective, the remaining contaminents may cause eye inflamation or damage to the cornea of the lens user.
Popular methods of sterilization require that the lenses be immersed in a saline or other liquid cleaner solution, and then boiled to insure lens asepticity. At least some lens sterilizing methods involve enclosing the lenses in a small capsule which is partially filled with the saline cleaning solution. The enclosed capsule is then suspended in boiling water or is otherwise heated to bring the cleaning solution to a sterilizing temperature.
A number of capsule containers and accompanying devices for suspending the lenses within the containers have been offered. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,113. At least some of these are complicated in construction and are accordingly expensive, while others do not adequately secure the lenses from loss. Some lens holders inhibit complete lens-cleaning solution contact and flow of the solution to and from the lens. Use of these structures accordingly increases the possibility that incomplete lens sterilization will be obtained.
It is thus a general object of the present invention to provide a structure which will securely retain a pair of contact lenses in a cleaning solution, and which will maximize solution contact with those lenses. Another object is to provide such a structure which encourages solution flow to and from the entire lens. Conversely, an object is to provide such a structure in which lens-lens support structure contact is minimized, yet which will securely retain the lenses as desired.
Yet another object is to provide such a structure which minimizes the difficulty of placing the lenses in the structure for storage or sterilization, and correspondingly minimizes the difficulty of removing the lenses from the structure when lens use is desired.
A further object is to provide a structure of this type which is adapted for use with a small capsule containing the lens sterilizing or cleaning solution. An ancillary object is to provide a solution-tight, leak-free unit especially attractive to ordinary lens users.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings. Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts.